Corvette Trailer Hitch

[Kirk M.]

I have this trailer hitch and I was wondering whether anyone recognizes it and might be able to tell what kinda hardware was used to mount it to the bumpers? Obviously, it was bolts, but were they chromed, did they use washers, and so on. The last picture shows the holes used to mount. Anyone have any original hardware for this hitch? Thanks.

Kirk

[Clem Z.]

Re: Corvette Trailer Hitch

I have this trailer hitch and I was wondering whether anyone recognizes it and might be able to tell what kinda hardware was used to mount it to the bumpers? Obviously, it was bolts, but were they chromed, did they use washers, and so on. The last picture shows the holes used to mount. Anyone have any original hardware for this hitch? Thanks.

Kirk

i think you have all there is as that hitch mounted to the downward pointing parts of the rear bumper all you need is the chrome plated bumper bolts and drill the holes in the bumpers. the auto parts should be able to get you the bumper bolts. i would guess you would want to use lock washers on the nuts. i had a friend who towed his BBC powered ski boat with a hitch like that. i don't remember if there was a brace going under the back of the corvette to support the hitch

[Harmon C.]

Re: Corvette Trailer Hitch

I have a hitch that looks like your pictures that fits a 69-73 bumpers as Clem said with no other braces. If your hitch don't match 67 bumpers it could be for a newer Corvette.
After looking close at the pictures I see it is stamped as to what it fits.

[Mike M.]

Re: Corvette Trailer Hitch

I have this trailer hitch and I was wondering whether anyone recognizes it and might be able to tell what kinda hardware was used to mount it to the bumpers? Obviously, it was bolts, but were they chromed, did they use washers, and so on. The last picture shows the holes used to mount. Anyone have any original hardware for this hitch? Thanks.

Kirk

kirk: i doubt that hitch will fit your c-2. i've got a couple c-2 hitches in the barn i took off my midyears in the past. their disign is such that a bar runs from the hitch forward to the 4 bolts clamping the spring to the differential and provide significantly more support than a hitch that simply bolts to a pair of rear bumprs. and these hitchs i have don't require drilling holes in your 67 bumpers. they are sandwiched between the bumper and body utilizing the same fastners that attach the bumper to their brackets. i see these style midyear hitches at Carlisle on occassion. if you check out the Restorer magazine about 6 months after the Bend National convention in 1989, on the front cover is a maroon 67. i recall the owner, a first class fool, towed, from Maryland to Oregon, a coke cooler mounted on a home-made trailer with the 67. i think there are pictures of the 67 and trailer inside the issue i'm speaking of. mikie the fool

[Keith G.]

Re: Corvette Trailer Hitch

I have a car that has holes in the left side for a hitch, if your wanting to put a hitch on I'll trade, left side only. I bought the car that way.

[Kirk M.]

Re: Corvette Trailer Hitch

I have a car that has holes in the left side for a hitch, if your wanting to put a hitch on I'll trade, left side only. I bought the car that way.

Already have a set of each, uncut on the car, and pair of drilled bumpers to mount if I ever want to use the hitch.

Here's another question. Being attached just to the bumpers, are these things even really capable of trailering anything without messing the bumpers up? Anybody out there ever used a bumper-attached hitch to trailer anything?

Kirk

[Kirk M.]

Re: Corvette Trailer Hitch

kirk: i doubt that hitch will fit your c-2. i've got a couple c-2 hitches in the barn i took off my midyears in the past. their disign is such that a bar runs from the hitch forward to the 4 bolts clamping the spring to the differential and provide significantly more support than a hitch that simply bolts to a pair of rear bumprs. and these hitchs i have don't require drilling holes in your 67 bumpers. they are sandwiched between the bumper and body utilizing the same fastners that attach the bumper to their brackets. i see these style midyear hitches at Carlisle on occassion. if you check out the Restorer magazine about 6 months after the Bend National convention in 1989, on the front cover is a maroon 67. i recall the owner, a first class fool, towed, from Maryland to Oregon, a coke cooler mounted on a home-made trailer with the 67. i think there are pictures of the 67 and trailer inside the issue i'm speaking of. mikie the fool

Mike,

This definitely fits right between the two rear bumpers. I would say that you would need a couple of spacer washers between the bumpers and the hitch, but it seems purposefully designed for that.

Kirk

[Paul Y.]

Re: Corvette Trailer Hitch

kirk: i doubt that hitch will fit your c-2. i've got a couple c-2 hitches in the barn i took off my midyears in the past. their disign is such that a bar runs from the hitch forward to the 4 bolts clamping the spring to the differential and provide significantly more support than a hitch that simply bolts to a pair of rear bumprs. and these hitchs i have don't require drilling holes in your 67 bumpers. they are sandwiched between the bumper and body utilizing the same fastners that attach the bumper to their brackets. i see these style midyear hitches at Carlisle on occassion. if you check out the Restorer magazine about 6 months after the Bend National convention in 1989, on the front cover is a maroon 67. i recall the owner, a first class fool, towed, from Maryland to Oregon, a coke cooler mounted on a home-made trailer with the 67. i think there are pictures of the 67 and trailer inside the issue i'm speaking of. mikie the fool

That is the same kind of hitch I have towed with. I have put many miles on my 63 towing a trailer. I suspect that it will work also on my 71. I like them as the are supported by the bottom of the spring perch as well as the bumper bolts. Dropping the spare tire is not too bad either, as I did it on the side of I80 at 3 in the AM once. If I had another set of L bars for the spring perch, I could move the hitch back and forth between the two cars. All I need now is one of those fiberglas uhaul trailers.

[Kirk M.]

Re: Corvette Trailer Hitch

That is the same kind of hitch I have towed with. I have put many miles on my 63 towing a trailer. I suspect that it will work also on my 71. I like them as the are supported by the bottom of the spring perch as well as the bumper bolts. Dropping the spare tire is not too bad either, as I did it on the side of I80 at 3 in the AM once. If I had another set of L bars for the spring perch, I could move the hitch back and forth between the two cars. All I need now is one of those fiberglas uhaul trailers.

What do you mean by the bottom of the spring perch? I am having a hard time envisioning it. Did the bolts go through both pieces of the bumper and then bolt or just one side and bolt in the middle?

Kirk

[Kirk M.]

Re: Corvette Trailer Hitch

Anybody a picture of one of these hitches attached to a vette.

Kirk

[Jim T.]

Re: Corvette Trailer Hitch

That is the same kind of hitch I have towed with. I have put many miles on my 63 towing a trailer. I suspect that it will work also on my 71. I like them as the are supported by the bottom of the spring perch as well as the bumper bolts. Dropping the spare tire is not too bad either, as I did it on the side of I80 at 3 in the AM once. If I had another set of L bars for the spring perch, I could move the hitch back and forth between the two cars. All I need now is one of those fiberglas uhaul trailers.

Paul I also installed one of the same hitches in 1968 on my 64 Corvette convertible to pull the smallest U-haul trailor from San Diego to Dallas. I had no towing problems to Dallas. I sold my 1964 in 1969 and just recently located and talked to the current owner who bought it in 1974. I asked him if it still had a trailor hitch on it when he bought it. He replied the trailor hitch is still on the Corvette. I don't want the hitch, but would like to have the car back.

[Art A.]

Re: Corvette Trailer Hitch

Anybody a picture of one of these hitches attached to a vette.

Kirk

Not too sure that this will help, but I took this at CC in 2004
[IMG]file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/My%20Pictures/2004/2004%20066.jpg[/IMG]

[Gerard F.]

Re: Corvette Trailer Hitch

Anybody a picture of one of these hitches attached to a vette.

Kirk

Kirk,

I put one of those aftermarket hitches on my 67 in 69, to tow a trailer with a hydroplane on it, NYC to Norfolk, VA, when in the Navy. Drove the car, NY to CA in late 69, used the hitch in CA to move from place to place in CA with a U-Haul. I remember when it was my only car in the 70's.

Here it is rechromed and put back on for the 2009 NCRS San Jose Convention and Road Tour:



I found with mine back in 69, that you had to have a couple of 3/8" to 1/2" steel shim plates on each side to make it fit. (I had the edges chrome plated back then). It just bolts to the inside return of the bumpers with Grade 5 (I think) bolts, washer and lock washer. Quite a task to get that nut and washers set inside the bumper return. Use coarse threaded bolts.

The hitch is only rated for a couple of hundred pounds download and about a 1000 pounds pull, but works OK for a small utility trailer.

At the 2009 San Jose National, my car sat inside with the trailer hitch and ball, and luggage attached, but I was only going for Sportsman. Next time judged, it will be with the trailer hitch (wonder how it will do).

Have fun

[Kirk M.]

Re: Corvette Trailer Hitch

Kirk,

I put one of those aftermarket hitches on my 67 in 69, to tow a trailer with a hydroplane on it, NYC to Norfolk, VA, when in the Navy. Drove the car, NY to CA in late 69, used the hitch in CA to move from place to place in CA with a U-Haul. I remember when it was my only car in the 70's.

Here it is rechromed and put back on for the 2009 NCRS San Jose Convention and Road Tour:



I found with mine back in 69, that you had to have a couple of 3/8" to 1/2" steel shim plates on each side to make it fit. (I had the edges chrome plated back then). It just bolts to the inside return of the bumpers with Grade 5 (I think) bolts, washer and lock washer. Quite a task to get that nut and washers set inside the bumper return. Use coarse threaded bolts.

The hitch is only rated for a couple of hundred pounds download and about a 1000 pounds pull, but works OK for a small utility trailer.

At the 2009 San Jose National, my car sat inside with the trailer hitch and ball, and luggage attached, but I was only going for Sportsman. Next time judged, it will be with the trailer hitch (wonder how it will do).

Have fun

Jerry,

Do you happen to have any close-up pictures of the hardware. I noticed with mine that it seemed I would need some sort of spacer as well, but someone mentioned adjusting the bumpers to fit. Would love to have pics and dimensions of the spacer plates and any specifics on the bolts that you might have.

Kirk

[Kirk M.]

Re: Corvette Trailer Hitch

Jerry,

I was also thinking about using a hard rubber spacer to allow it to molding the the 3-D. Not sure where I could find/purchase/make them, but it seems like it would work. What do you think.

Kirk